Trailing filling-end clearer for looms.



No. 808,146. PATENTED DEC. 26, 1905. W. F. DRAPER & J. NORTHROP.TRAILING FILLING END CLEARER FOR LOOMS. APPLICATION FILED MAY1L1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.-

mi r a J PATENTED DEC. 26, 1905. W. F. DRAPER & J. NORTHROP. I TRAILINGFILLING END CLEARER FOR LOOMS.

UNITED STATES PATENT EFIQE.

WVILLIAM F. DRAPER AND JONAS NORTHROP, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHU- SETTS,ASSIGNORS TO DRAPER COMPANY, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHU- SETTS, A CORPORATIONOF MAINE.

TRAILING FILLING-END CLEARER FOR LOOIVIS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 26, 1905.

Application filed May 11, 1905. Serial No. 259,945.

To (11 whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WVILLIAM F. DRAPER and J ONAS NoR'rHRoP, citizensof the United States, and residents of Hopedale, county of IVorcester,State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in TrailingFilling- End Olearers for Looms, of which the following description, inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, likefigures on the drawings representing like parts.

IVhen in the ordinary operation of a loom the running filling failsa'.6., breaks or is exhausted-the failure may occur in the cloth betweenthe edges thereof or outside of the cloth between its edge and the pointin the shuttle-box to which the filling may happen to run prior to theinstant of failure. The usual detector to detect the presence or absenceof filling, such as the well-known filling-fork, is so located as todetect at a point in the filling-path between the edge of the cloth andthe shuttle-box, and filling laid in front of the fork tilts the same,whereas upon absence of filling the fork does not tilt, and throughsuitable mechanism a change is effected automatically in the operationof the loom. In case the filling fails outside the cloth the trailingend frequently remains extended from the edge of the cloth in front ofthe filling-fork, and the loom will continue to run without filling, thetrailing filling end act ing to lift or tilt the fork and the take-upmechanism continuing to operate until the trailing end is worn off orbecomes detached. Manifestly such continued operation of the loomwithout filling causes a thin place in the cloth, in some cases an inchor more in width before it is discovered, spoiling the cut of cloth andobjectionable in any case. The great importance of perfect-freedom ofaction for the filling fork or detector and the performance of itsproper functions unimpeded or hampered will be obvious, the freedom fromthin places in the cloth being absolutely dependent upon the accuracyand certainty of operation of the filling-detector.

Our present invention has for its object the production of simple andeflicient means for clearing or removing with certainty from a positionin which it could affectthe operation of the filling-detector such atrailing filling end as has been just referred to, whether the trailingend be in position to cooperate with the detector after the manner ofintact filling or in position to prevent detecting action by reason offouling the detector.

In accordance with our invention we have provided means operated by orthrough the lay to engage a trailing filling end extended from the clothand either push it when the lay beats up or pull it when the lay goesback out of position where the action of the fillingdetector can beaffected or break it if it has caught on any of the adjacent parts.

The various novel features of ourinveution will be fully described inthe subjoined specification and particularly pointed out in thefollowing claims.

Figure 1 is a top plan view, centrally broken out, of a sufiicientportion of a loom to be understood with our present invention appliedthereto. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional detail, enlarged, on the line2 2, Fig. 1, looking toward the left, with the lay back. Fig. 3 is aperspective detail showing the mode of operation of our invention whenthe trailing filling end extends from the cloth in front of thefilling-fork, the lay moving back. Fig. 4: is a similar view showing theoperation of the clearer on the forward beat of the lay and alsoassuming that the filling has looped around the tines of the fork. Fig.5 is a detail in plan to illustrate the mode of operation of theclearer; and Fig. 6 is a front elevation, enlarged, of the device forefiecting the clearance or removal of the trailing filling end.

We have herein shown our invention as applied to a loom of well-knownconstruction. The lay 1, shuttle-box 2, the filling-detector, hereinshown as a fork 3, pivotally mounted to tilt on a fulcrum 4 on thefork-slide 5, and the transverse recess 6 in the raceway of the lay,with the grid or grating 7 may be and are all of substantially usualconstruction and operate in a manner well known to those skilled'in theart.

When filling is laid along the lay-raceway in front of the fork, thelatter is lifted or tilted and the normal operation of the loom continues. If, however, the filling fails, either by exhaustion orbreakage,the detection thereof depends upon the proper action of thefork, perfect freedom of the latter being requisite in order that it mayremain untilted as it sweeps across the lay, so that a change in theoperation of the loom will be effectedsuch,

for instance, as a replenishment of the running filling or stoppage ofthe loom, as the case may be. If the filling fails outside the cloth,between its edge and the adjacent shuttleboX, the trailing end offilling extended from the edge of the cloth will frequently assume sucha position as will affect the operation of the fork. For instance, itmay eX- tend from the edge of the cloth into the shuttle-boX across therecess 6, as shown at 8, Fig. 1, so that such trailing filling end 8will to all intents assume the position of properly-laid and intactfilling, and as the lay heats up the fork will engage the trailing endand will be tilted, precisely as if the filling were intact. Thisoperation will be repeated on each detecting-pick for a longer orshorter period and the take-up will continue to operate normally as theloom continues to run, though no filling is laid and a thin place ismadein the cloth. To obviate this most objectionable result, we haveherein shown a clearing device, in the present embodiment of ourinvention mounted on the lay at the front thereof, to engage a trailingfilling end and remove it from a position where it can affect the actionof the fork.

Herein the clearer is shown as a metallic piece comprising a baseportion 9, adapted to rest against the front face of the lay andprovided with positioning-lugs 10, which project under the lay, a bolt11 securing the clearer rigidly in position. The clearer proper is shownas upturned from the base and integral therewith, said clearer beingmade as a rather thin, flat, or blade-like portion 12, lying in a planetransverse to the lay and having its rear upright edge 13 set forward toleave a space or clearance M between it and the front face of the lay.(See Fig. 2.) The front upright edge 15 of the clearer is shown as inclined upward and forward and the top edge 16 is upwardly inclined fromback to front, the clearer being located between the forkrecess 6 andthe adjacent edge of the cloth, and hence movinginapath at one side ofthe fork.

Referring to Fig. 1, at the left-hand. side thereof let it be supposedthat the lay is beating up and that the trailing filling end 8 is in theposition shown, then as the lay advances the broken filling is beaten inand the fork will be tilted on that pick by the trailing end. The laynow swings back, and as it does so the rear upright acting edge 13 ofthe clearer engages the trailing end, and such end is pulled out of theway of the fork, as shown in Fig. 5, where the lay has nearly attainedits extreme backward positionthat is, as one end of the trailing end isheld at the edge of the cloth and the other end is free the trailing endwill draw around the rear edge of the clearer as the lay goes back andthe trailing end drops down into the clearance M below the point atwhich it can affect the action of the fork on the next forward beat ofthe lay. If the trailing end is short, it will frequently be drawnentirely away from in front of the fork and out of engagement with theclearer, or if long it will be drawn part way out by the clearer andthen will drop by its weight into the clearance-space 14 into aperfectly harmless position. In Fig. 3 the lay is moving back and thetrailing end 8 is shown as it draws across the rear edge of the clearerand outof the way of the fork. From an inspection of the drawings itwill be seen that this clearing of the trailing filling end from aposition in which it can affect the action of the fork takes place onthe backward beat of the lay immediately succeeding the forward beat onwhich the failure of filling occurred, so that on the subsequentdetecting-beat the fork is perfectly free and unhampered by the trailingfilling end and will not be tilted, as it then detects the absence offilling.

In Fig. 5 the dotted line indicates the position of the trailing fillingend at the time the filling fails, it then being in position to tilt thefork. 1f the fork jumps over the filling and the end is carried backinto the cloth, as shown in Fig. 4:, looping the filling around the forkand holding it in tilted position, the clearer would act to release orclear the fork by engaging the filling between the fork and the cloth asthe lay beats up and the front edge 15 of the clearer breaks thefilling, releasing the fork.

The rear edge of the clearer is carried above the raceway high enough towith certainty operate when occasion requires on the backward beat ofthe lay, and the front edge 15 is carried up somewhat higher tocompensate for the curved path in which the lay moves and also toabsolutely insure engagement with the filling end on the forward beatwhen necessary.

No interference can occur between the trailing end clearer and therunning filling, as the clearer is located Wholly outside the path ofthe running filling or the shuttle.

The clearer can be applied to looms now in operation by the addition ofa single bolt, as the clearer interferes with nothing else on the loom;Vhile its action is at once certain, prompt, and effective, itssimplicity of structure and operation is of importance, as there are norelatively moving parts or portions liable to become worn.

The invention is equally effective and valuable whether applied to asingle or a double fork loom, as will be manifest, and in Fig. 1 we haveshown a loom of the latter type With a clearer at each side, one foreach fork.

Our invention is not restricted to the precise construction herein shownand described, for the same may be modified or varied in differentparticulars by those skilled in the art without departing from thespirit and scope of our invention.

Having fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a loom, a lay, a filling-fork, and means fixedly mounted on thelay, and moving in a path at one side of the fork, to prevent a trailingfilling end extended from the cloth from affecting the action of thefork.

2. In a loom, a lay, a detector to detect absence of filling, and meansfixedly mounted on the lay and moving in a path at one side of the fork,to free the detector from control by a trailing filling end extendingfrom the cloth.

3. In a loom, a lay, a detector to cooperate with a runningfilling-thread laid in front thereof, and means fixedly mounted on thelay in a plane transverse thereto to relieve the detector fromcooperation with a trailing filling end extended from the cloth.

4. In a loom, a lay, a shuttle reciprocable thereupon to lay thefilling, a filling-fork to cooperate with the filling laid in frontthereof, and an upturned clearer fixedly mounted on the lay in a planetransverse thereto and moving in a path at one side of the fork, toautomatically relieve the fork from cooperation with a trailing fillingend extending from the cloth and in front of the fork.

5. In a loom, a lay havinga transverse forkrecess, a filling-forkadapted to be tilted by intermittent engagement with the runningfilling, and means fixedly mounted on the lay between the cloth and thefork-recess to clear the fork from cooperation with a trailing fillingend extended from the cloth and in position to engage and tilt the fork.

6. In a loom, a lay, a filling-fork to cooperate with and be tilted byrunning filling laid in front thereof, and an upright clearer fixedlymounted on the front of the lay and moving in a path between the forkand the edge of the cloth to act upon a trailing filling end so laid andextending from the cloth and free the fork from the influence of suchtrailing end.

7. In a loom, a lay, a filling-fork, anda filling-end clearer mounted onthe lay and having an upright, thin and fiat portion fixedly extended infront of and at right angles to the lay, to engage a trailing fillingend extended from the cloth and clear the same from a position affectingthe action of the fork.

8. In a loom, a lay, a filling-fork, and a blade-like filling-endclearer fixedly mounted on the front of the lay and set out therefromand extended above the raceway, to engage a trailing filling endextended from the cloth and clear the same from a position affecting theaction of the fork, the space between the lay and the rear edge of theclearer permitting a trailing'filling end to drop thereinto below thefork-path across the lay-raceway.

9. In aloom, a lay, afilling-fork, and a filling-end clearer fixedlymounted on the lay at the front thereof in a plane transverse to thelay, and having front and rear upright acting edges, to engage atrailing filling end extended from the cloth and clear the same from aposition affecting the fork action, the front and rear acting edges ofthe clearer operating on the forward and backward strokes, respectively,of the lay, to push or pull the filling end into harmless position.

10. As a new article of manufacture, a filling-end clearer for looms,comprising a base adapted to be secured to the front of a loomlay and arigidly-attached upright, blade-like portion adapted to lie in a planetransverse to the lay and to engage a trailing filling end when theclearer is in use.

11. In a loom, a lay, a filling-fork, and means fixedly mounted on thelay in a plane transverse thereto to free the fork from control by atrailing filling end on the forward stroke of the lay.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM F. DRAPER. JONAS NORTHROP. I/Vittnesses:

OLIVER H. LANE, ARTHUR W. BEARDSELL.

